Target-trap.



No. 792,824:` PATENTED JUNE 20,1905. F. HARDYl TARGET TRAP.

APPLIUATION F1LED'MAR.12,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

,R HARDY. TARGET TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.12,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 2o, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

TARGET-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,824, dated J une 20, 1905.

Application filed March l2, 1904. Serial No. 197.763.

T0 cir/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HARDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mountpleasant, in the county of Maury and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Target-Traps, vof which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that character of trap used for vthrowing targets for sharpshooters practice, the trap to which the present invention relates being' of such construction that it may be operated entirely by a single person and also being of such construction that the target carrying throw-arm is automatically returned to the target-feed point after each target is thrown.

The invention further relates to latch mechanism for holding the throw-arm and means whereby the throw-arm support is shifted and held in various positions to vary the direction in which the target is discharged.

The invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed lout in the claims.

Figure I is a perspective view of my improved trap. Fig. II is an enlarged vertical section taken on line II II, Fig. l. Fig. III is a horizontal section taken on line III III, Fig. II, with the parts beneath said line shown in plan. Fig. IV is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken through the main throw-arm support at the point of its pivotal mounting and the throw-arm-receiving latch. Fig. V is a top view of the throw-arm latch. Fig. VI is a section taken on line VI VI, Fig. V. Fig. VII is a top view of the target-carrier. Fig. VIII is an elevation of the latchoperating members, the table being shown in section. Fig. IX is a View of the foot-leverretaining dog. Fig. X is a top view of the retaining device for holding the swivel-plate of the throw-arm support. Fig. XI is avertical section taken on line XI XI, Fig. X.

A designates a pit in which the operator of my trap stands, the pit being lined with a rear wall 1, side walls 2, and a front wall 3.

4 represents posts that are located in the pit A and supports a table 5.

6 is a platform on which the bed-plate 7 of the trap proper is mounted. The bed-plate is provided with a central opening in which is positioned a swivel-plate 8, that issurmounted by a swivel-post 9, containing a clamp-bolt 10, that passes transversely therethrough.

1l is a main supporting-arm that is provided at its rear end with a head 12, which is loosely mounted on the swivel-post 9 and is held thereto for vertical oscillation by the clamp-bolt 10, which passes through said head in conjunction with the swivel-post. The supporting-arm head is furnished with a pair of fork-arms 13 and forward of said fork-arms in the head is a notch 14.

15 designates ashaft journaled in the outer end of the supporting-arm 11 and extending upwardly above said arm, as seen most clearly in Fig. II. On the upper end of the shaft is a nut 1G.

1.7 is a throw-arm fixed to the shaft 15. This throw-arm has mounted upon its free end the target-carrier 18. No invention is herein claimed per se for the construction of this carrier, it being made the subject of an application for Letters Patent tiled by me in the United States Patent Office, February 24, 1904, Serial No. 195,029, and to which application attention is directed for an understanding thereof.

19 designates a crank-plate, preferably of sector shape, as illustrated in Figs. I and III, and which is iixed to the lower end of the shaft 15. In the crank-plate 19, at its outer end, is a curved slot 20.

21 is a slide-block positioned in the slot 20 to travel therein, the said block being provided with upper and lower heads 22 and bearing an upper stem 23 and a lower stem 24.

25 is a spring that surrounds the hub of the crank-plate 19 and has one of its ends 26 suitably held, as at 27, Fig. III. 28 is an arni of said spring that extends to and is secured to the slide-block stem 23, so that movement will be imparted to said slide-block under certain conditions to be hereinafter named.

29 designates a main power-spring having one of its ends connected to the slide-block stem 24 for swiveling movement with respect to said stem. The other end of said power- IDO spring has connected to it a pull-cord 30. The pull-cord 30 eXtends through the main supporting-arm head 12 and rides upon a sheave 31 in said head. (See Figs. IV and VI.)

32 is a foot-lever having its forward end pivotally mounted in standards 33, located in the pit A and provided at its rear end with a foot-arm 34.

35 is a rocker-lever pivoted intermediate of its ends at 36 to the foot-lever 32. The forward end of this rocker-lever is unitedto a link 37, suspended from the front wall of the pit A, and the rocking lever has connected to its rear end the pull-cord 30, through the medium of whichthe main power-spring is put under tension when the foot-lever 32 is depressed.

38 is a detent that is swingingly supported by apost 39, located alongside of the foot-lever 32 and by which said foot-lever is engaged and held in lowered position when .it has been depressed.

No invention per se is herein claimed for the main power-spring and the leverage mechanism by which said spring' is put under tension, these features of construction being made the subject-matter of an application for patent filed by me February 1, 1904, Serial No. 191,630.

40 designates a latch that is swingingly up held at one end through the medium of a pivotpin 41, that passes through extension-arms 12, projecting laterally from the main supporting-arm head 12. This latch is adapted to swing downwardly into the notch 14 in the supporting-arm head, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. VI, andit is provided uponits upper side with angle-teeth 42 and a stop-lug 43. The latch is normally upheld in a horizontal position by a lift-spring 44. (See Figs. IV and VI.)

45 is a rocking block that is positioned between the fork-arms 13 of the supporting-arm head 12, said block being supported by a rod 46, that passes therethrough and is seated inv said fork-arms.

47 is a pin projecting from the rocking block 45 and loosely connected to the latch 40 byan eye 48, in which the free end of the pin is seated, as seen in Figs. IV and VI.

49 is a pull-cord that has one of its ends connected to the pin 47.

50 is a bell-crank trigger pivotally mounted in a bracket 51, secured to the under side of the table 5. One arm of this trigger has mounted therein an adjustment-screw 52, to which the pull-cord 49 is connected, wherebyv the pull-cord may be adjusted to requisite degree of tightness according to necessity for each adjustment due to the tilting of the main supporting-arm 11. The other arm of said bell-crank trigger projects forwardly to be engaged by a dog 53, carried by a spring-controlled push-pin 54, that is slidably mounted in the table 5 and is adapted to be depressed to rock the trigger 50 for the purpose of causing it to draw the pull-cord 49 rearwardly.

designates a rack surmounting the bedplate 7 adjacent to the swivel-plate 8, the said rack being provided with a plurality of recesses 56. (See Figs. I, X, and XI.)

57 is a slide-bolt that is loosely seated on the swivel-plate 8 between guides 58. This slide-bolt is provided with a point 59, that is adapted to enter either of the recesses 56 in the rack 55, and the bolt is slotted longitudinally to receive an expansion-spring 60, that rests between the forward portion of the bolt, and a lug 61, that surmounts the swivel-plate 8. This spring serves to hold the point of said slide-bolt seated in one of the recesses of the rack 55. The slide-bolt 57 terminates at its rear end in outturned and upturned arms 62.

66 is a throw-rod that is connected to the outer end of a rocking lever 63, pivoted to the lug 61, the rod 66 being supported in a bracket 67, mounted on one of the table-supporting posts 4. The throw-rod 66 extends into a position where it is accessible to the trap-operator in the pit A, and it is provided with a handle 68, by which it may be grasped to reciprocate it. When it is desired to change the position of the main supporting-arm 11 and vary the direction into which a target is to be thrown by the trap, the operator grasps the handle of the throw-rod 66, and by either shifting the throw-arm outwardly or drawing it inwardly, according to the direction the supporting-arm is to be moved, oscillates the rocking lever 63, so that one of its arms is thrown against the adjacent slide-bolt arm 62, thereby reciprocating the slide-bolt and withdrawing it from engagement with the rack 55. Continued throw of the rod 66 causes the swivel-plate 8 to be rocked in the proper direction to carry the main supporting-arm 11 laterally in either direction to the desired point.

The operation of feeding the targets and discharging them is as follows: Each time that the throw-arm is operated it rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. I, to discharge the target placed in the carrier 18, and

after throwing the target the throw-arm continues in a circular path until it again reaches the latch 40 to engage the teeth thereof, the actuation of the throw-arm being accomplished through the medium of the power-spring 29, actuating in the manner that will be more thoroughly explained. The foot-lever 32 is then released by the operator placing his foot thereupon and pressing the detent 38 laterally to permit the rise of the lever. At this time the slide-block 21 occupies a position at the rear end of the crank-plate slot 20, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. III, into which position it moved during the actuation of the throw-arm to permit the complete rotation thereof. When the foot-lever is releasedand rises, as stated, the power-spring 29 is completely relaxed, and

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immediately -upon such relaxation the arm 28 of the slide-block-actuating spring acts to return the slide-block 21 to the forward end of the crank-plate slot 20. which is its active position when power is applied thereto through the medium of the power-spring29. The operator then depresses the foot-lever 32, and in so doing again stores power in the spring 29 while the throw-arm is in engagement with the latch 40. In discharging the target the operator places his hand upon'the push-pin 54 and by depressing said push-pin moves the dog 53 into engagement with the bell-crank trigger 50, thereby causing said trigger to exert a pull upon the pull-cord 49. As a consequence, the rocking-block 45 is oscillated and the latch 40 is drawn downwardly through the medium of the pin 47 to permit the escape of the throwarm past the latch-lug 43. When the trap is to be sprung, the slide-block 2l rests in the left-hand end of the curved slot in the crankplate 19, as seen in Figs. I and III, and therefore when the latch 40 is lowered to free the throw-arm the power-spring 29 under tension acts to pull the crank-plate in the direction indicated by the'arrow, Fig. III, to rotate the throw-arm and discharge the target.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a target-trap, the combination of a throw-arm support, athrow-arm, a shaft journaled in said support by which said throwarm is carried, a sector shaped crank plate fixed on said shaft and formed with a'concentric slot, a slide-block operating in the slot in said crank-plate, a power-spring connected to said slide-block, means for placing said powerspring under tension, and means for return- 'ing said slide-block to the forward end of said crank-plate slot after said throw-arm is actuated, substantially as set forth.

2. In a target-trap, the combination of a throw-arm support, athrow-arm, a shaft journaled in said support by which said throwarm is carried, a sector shaped crank plate fixedon said shaft and formed with a concentric slot, a slide-block operating in the slot in said crank-plate, a power-spring connected to said slideblock,means for placing said powerspring under tension, and a retracting-spring for returning said slide-block to the forward end of said crank-plate slot after said throwarm is actuated, substantially as set forth.

3. In a target-trap, the combination of a throw-arm support, a throw-arm mounted on said support for complete rotation, a toothed latch pivoted to said support to receive said throw-arm, means for actuating said latch, and means for yieldingly upholding the latch, substantially as Set forth.

4. In a target-trap, the combination of a throw-arm support. a throw-arm mounted on said support for complete rotation, means forl actuating said throw-arm, a spring-supported toothed latch pivoted to said support, a rocker having connection with said latch, and means for oscillating said rocker to release said latch from said throw-arm,substantially as set forth.

5. In a target-trap, the combination of a throw-arm support, a throw-arm mounted on said support for complete rotation, means for actuating said throw-arm, a spring-supported latch pivoted to said support, a rocker adjacent to said latch, a pin carried by said rocker and loosely connected to said latch, and means for oscillating said rocker to free said latch from engagement with said throw-arm, substantially as set forth.

6. In a target-trap the combination with a throw-arm frame,of a swivel member by which said frame is supported, a rack located adjacent to said swivel member,a slide-bolt mounted on said swivel member and provided with diverging arms, a rocking lever, arms carried by said rocking lever for engagement with said slide bolt arms, and means for rocking said lever to cause one of its arms to exert pressure against one of said slide-bolt arms, substantially as set forth.

. FREDERICK HARDY.

In presence of- NELLIE V. ALEXANDER, E. S. KNIGHT. 

